Into the Shadows
Nothing knew how to react to the Darkness when it finally arrived. Gods, demigods, mortals; everyone could see it, but no one knew what is was, or where it came from. Eventually almost everything was taken out. The Darkness is brutal, cruel; its creator - sadistic. Sometimes, the Darkness seems alive. It is said that the Darkness attacks the amygdala - the part of the brain said to trigger fear - forcing the victim to experience their darkest memories, their scariest thoughts, until they would want to end their own lives. Certain people are resilient, and can withstand the horrors that the Darkness makes them live through, but still, barely anyone survives. A few minutes within the Darkness causes the victim that would not break down to suffocate. As if it knew that they were a lost cause. It started in the sky. The mortals began to notice something strange, something that baffled all of their 'scientists'; the stars were going out. People speculated that they had been going out for some time, and whether this was the case no one will never know. All they did know was that once they did start to notice, the stars seemed to go out much faster and more noticeable than before. So much faster that, by the end of the third day, not a single star on the dark horizon could be seen. The human race was the first to reach the brink of extinction; only various small groups remain. Being completely mortal, they were the least prepared. When the Darkness began to envelope the world's largest cities, they attempted to use militaristic force- as expected. Of course their guns and bombs were harmless to the Darkness, and they eventually realized this, albeit a few days too late. For by then over three quarters of the population had been wiped out. There was already a smaller population of demigods than humans before the Darkness arrived. Even with their multiple supernatural abilities, they weren't safe. Previously safe havens - commonly referred to as 'camps' - were discovered to be of no protection at all against the Darkness. Many were killed, and they eventually came to the point when they realized that, to survive, they would have to reveal to the world what they were, and what they could do. Of course, by the time they came to this realization, there was barely a world to tell. No one imagined that the gods would fade. In their time of need, the demigods found themselves praying more and more for their respective parents to help them. Even mortals eventually branched out, praying to everyone and everything that might help them survive. After weeks of silence, however, they had to conclude that the gods had already faded. As the population shrank, people started to worry. And as people started to worry, they began to grow more selfish. Eventually "What if this wasn't like those films and books, where there was always a group of survivors to continue the human race?" turned into "Or, even worse, what if there ''is a group of survivors, and I'm just not one of them?" Hoarding food and stealing from neighbors and 'friends' became a social norm, as people dropped dead left, right and center. This went on for several weeks, until a group of civilians made a startling discovery; the Darkness cannot go underground. The surviving groups hastened to find places of shelter. They retreated to underground train stations, basements- some even went as far as the sewers. Any crack was sealed, any hole filled, and eventually, people began to settle down. Demigods - presumably around the world, but this cannot be confirmed as by this time, countries, even cities, had lost all contact with each other - took this chance to reveal themselves, explaining what they were. Humans did not find this hard to believe; having witnessed what the Darkness was capable of, they were more open minded than ever. Eventually, one particular mixed - consisting of both demigods and mortals - group decided to take a course of action. D.A.R.K (Discovering. Aiding. Rescuing. Knowing.) was formed, their main aim being to discover how to survive the Darkness, and to attempt to help any individual that finds themselves in the vicinity of the Darkness. Of course not all of the group wished to put themselves in danger, and so left to locate another group, which would have ultimately led to their deaths. =One= She stood in the center of the dark alley, waiting, counting down. ''Over a minute until it was supposedly due to arrive, she thought to herself. She had, of course, already been through this at least twice, but that didn't stop her from being unashamedly nervous. "Thirty seconds," a female voice crackled at the other end of the line of the mobile phone that the girl had been holding to her ear. "Are you sure you want to do this, Alice?" After a pause, Alice nodded, before realizing that the other girl couldn't see her. "I'm sure. It's for science, right?" Before she could reply, Alice shut the phone and placed it in her jacket pocket. Less than fifteen seconds. The air chilled around her as she sighed and turned nervously towards the opening of the alleyway, where she could already see wafts of black smoke. The Darkness had arrived. Ten. Nine. Eight. The black smoke swirled its way through the opening, towards her. Seven. Six. Five. She made the mistake of glancing up, and noticed that the Darkness seemed to go upwards for miles. Four. Three. Two. Her breathing quickened as the first wisps of dark smoke reached her, entering her nose and mouth. One. Suddenly, her whole world went dark. She almost thought that she had passed out, but decided that she wouldn't be so lucky. For a few minutes, nothing happened. But then the Darkness found its target. Alice collapsed onto her knees as she entered an almost dream-like state, yet still completely aware of the horrors she was witnessing. At first, they came in flashes. A young girl screaming in pain, an older man and woman raising their hands threateningly. Soon afterwards, the scene appeared. The same man and woman sat at a dinner table, with two young girls sitting beside them. The youngest one reached for a glass of water, but accidentally knocked it down onto the floor, shattering the glass and spilling the water. She glanced nervously at the man across from her, who had risen as the incident occured. "What the hell is wrong with you?" He spat at her, and she flinched. He maneuvered his way around the table until he was beside her. "You're always the clumsiest idiot. You can't spend one day without breaking something, or spilling something, can you? Clean it up!" He added with a growl, before leaving the room and slamming the door behind him. The woman was quick to follow, but not before shooting the children a disgusted glare. As the door slammed for a second time, the younger girl let a sob escape from her mouth. She bent down and started to remve the pieces of glass - tears streaming down her face - when she accidentally cut herself. The older girl bent down and hugged her. "It's okay, Lena. Go and get cleaned up," she said gently, as the injury had started to draw blood. "I'll clean this up." Lena's eyes widened. "Alice, that isn't a good idea. It'll only make things wors-" "Trust me Lena," Alice replied firmly. Lena stood up, glanced quickly at the mess, and hurried to the bathroom in the room opposite the one the man and woman had walked into. Alice slowly and carefully removed all of the pieces of glass and put them in a rubbish bin, before locating a cloth and trying to wipe up the water. As she was wiping, a door opened. She believed it to be Lena, but her heart sank when she saw the man re-enter the room, a bottle of beer in his hand. "What the hell are you doing?" He demanded, as Alice shot up off of the floor. "Were you cleaning it up for her?" Before Alice could answer, the man screamed out "Lena, come here you little brat!" The door to the bathroom opened quickly and Lena shuffled out. The man walked swiftly to her and grabbed her by the hair. "Did you ask her to clean it for you? Did you?!" Lena struggled to find an answer and free herself from his grasp. "Answer me you wretched child!" He through her into the wall. "No!" Alice screamed helplessly. "I told her to let me do it, don't touch her!" The man, who had been about to kick Lena, stopped in his tracks, and turned to face Alice. "WELL I TOLD ''HER TO DO IT," he started to scream. "SO SHE'LL BE THE ONE TO DO IT, GOT THAT, BRAT?"'' At the last word, he threw his beer bottle at her. It hit the floor in front of her and shattered, covering her in pieces of glass which immediately drew blood from her cheeks and forehead. "I SAID, GOT THAT?" "Y-yes," Alice whispered in a barely audible voice. The man pointed at the door and Alice rushed to leave the room, not even glancing at Lena, and barely holding her sob in. Alice screamed in frustration as she was somehow momentarily brought back to reality. She felt herself fading away again as she heard a loud clang - like a metal door opening - and a voice. "Bring her in." ---- She awoke in a dark room, and it wasn't until she saw the silhouette of a bookcase that she realized she was in her bedroom. She glanced to her left and saw that the bed beside hers was empty. Sitting up and turning on the bedside battery-powered lamp, she noticed that the small chair by the desk was occupied. A guy was sprawled on it, his head on one armrest and his legs over the other. Alice smiled as she got up out of bed. She wasn't alarmed because she only knew of one person that wouldn't want to leave her side when she was out. "Aaron?" She had barely whispered but he still shot up out of the chair. "What's goin-" He stopped himself. "Alice!" They embraced quickly. "Thank God you're finally awake." A chill crept down her spine. "How long was I out?" "It's been almost a week," Aaron replied hurriedly. "Smoke has been erupting out of your mouth and nostrils frequently, and I was scared maybe this time they'd let you stay up there too long. And you know me, when I get scared or nervous I, er, also tend to get violent..." "And?" Alice prompted hesitantly before sitting on the edge of the bed. "And, er, when Tom wouldn't let me into your room so that I wouldn't get...infected, I, um, hit him." His voice lowered considerably towards the end of that sentence, but Alice still heard it loud and clear. And she couldn't help but laugh, making Aaron blush a deep scarlet. "How did Tom react?" she asked after managing to stop herself from laughing. "He knew I was just scared for you and did nothing," Aaron said as he turned to reach for a glass of water. "And anyway, I doubt it hurt; I'm not exactly the strongest person in the world. Although if I had taken the time to write him an angry letter I'm sure I could've got him crying-" "Aaron," Alice stopped him, before she could burst into laughter again. "Was I really out for almost a week?" He joined her on the edge of the bed before answering. "Yeah, but Tom wasn't worried- which just made me want to hit him even more to be honest. Anyway, he said you won't be going back out for a while. Rose and Linda will have to hold out by themselves." "Speaking of Rose," Alice said, glancing at the empty bed. "Where is she? And what time is it?" "She stayed the night in my room, with Ethan. Has been for a few days now actually. I started sneaking into your room before bed the day before yesterday - with Rose's permission of course; she's a lot more lenient than Tom. Anyway, she knew her brother wouldn't want to spend the night alone and said we could switch until you woke up. She even offered me her bed, but that would feel intrusive." Alice nodded, and they relapsed into a comfortable silence. She never felt awkward around Aaron, having known him for so long. "Are you sure you're okay?" He asked after a while. "You really had me worried there." His voice shook, and she could tell that he was almost in tears - with relief or worry, she was too scared to find out - and found herself at a crossroads. Tell him how utterly weak she really felt, as if she had been drained of all energy, or put on a false act? She opted for the latter. "Of course I'm fine," she replied with a smile. "Although it really is nice to know that you care." Aaron flashed her a grin. "I do try." Before anyone could say anything else, they heard a short cough at the door. "Nice to see you're awake," Rose said warmly. Alice almost smiled at her- but then she noticed her solemn expression. "What's wrong?" Alice asked, not noticing the angry look Rose flashed at Aaron. "Has something happened?" "No, everything's fine," Rose replied after a moment's hesitation. "I'm just here to collect you; Tom wants to see you. Aaron, can you go and watch Ethan?" She added crisply. Aaron immediately shot off of the bed. "Alright." He answered in the same sharp tone. "But first, I'd like to speak to you outside." "Whatever you say." Aaron turned to Alice and flashed her a quick smile before saying "I'll be outside" and walking out the door. Alice glanced at the door. "What was that all about?" "Nothing, he was just supposed to tell us the moment you woke up," Rose replied, her usual warm tone replacing the stern one she had used with Aaron. Although Alice could tell that it still contained a hidden undertone of annoyance. "Oh," Alice replied with a slightly exaggerated sigh of relief. "If we're going to see Tom, I should change- and maybe shower?" Rose nodded. "Go ahead; I'll be waiting outside until you finish." She swept out of the room, and Alice noticed that she was careful to shut the door fully. Hesitating for only a moment, Alice dashed to the bedside table where a glass of water had been left. She promptly emptied it, before proceeding as close to the door as she dared go and placing the empty glass on the wall. It took her a few hastened attempts before she found a section where she could hear voices. "...I didn't tell her, if that's what you mean," a voice said piercingly. It surprised her to realize that it was Aaron's. "Good." Another voice - Rose - spoke, almost calmly. "I don't want to keep this from her either Aaron- don't you think I'd rather help her stop it from happening? But if this is what Tom wants to do, then we can't stop him. I have to think about what's best for my brother. Here we have a home- food, water, everything we need to survive. If I help her, Tom will probably kick us out. Do you honestly expect me to give that up?" "No, of course not." Aaron replied after a moment. "I get that you have someone to look after, I really do. But you have to understand that Alice is that for me, and vice versa; we look out for each other. And if it comes down to it, I'll help her stop him." Alice heard him start to walk away, and couldn't help but wonder what on earth that was about. ---- "Are you ready?" Rose said through the door just as Alice burst out. "Yep," Alice replied, avoiding her eyes. "Let's go." They walked silently through the corridors, and Alice could feel the tension between them. It wasn't until they were almost at Tom's office that Rose spoke. "So, what did you see this time?" She asked, her voice unusually chipper. "Tom will want to know, and I thought it might be easier for you talk it about it with someone else first." "The usual," Alice began to reply. "A particularly horrible memory involving glass and my sister." Their eyes met, and although it was only momentarily, Alice saw the flash of something - guilt? - in her eyes before she turned away. "I'm sorry to hear that," Rose replied. "But at least it's nothing new, which means Tom won't keep you in there for long." She reached for the door handle just as someone opened the door. "Alice!" Tom beamed at her, his smile as wide as ever. She could see how dark the bags under his eyes were, and his hair somehow seemed grayer than usual. "Come in, come in!" He ushered them towards the two upturned wooden boxes acting as chairs. "So Alice," Tom began. "I'm glad you are feeling better today. Do you have anything new to tell us? You know how important this information is." "Not really. It's the memory with the beer bottle. I've already told you about it." "That's it?" Tom growled so suddenly that Alice almost jumped out of her seat. "There has to be something else, something worse, that you've seen." "I haven't," Alice assured him. "Besides, isn't it better for me not to see anything worse? I mean, the worse the memory, the less likely I'll live to tell you about it." "If the worst memories you have are you being beaten by your step-dad, then let me tell you that your life has been peachy compared to the rest of ours. Your issues barely count as issues." It felt like he had just hit her across her face. Tom had never been so blunt, so cruel, as to say her problems were any less of problems than everyone else's. For the little over two months that they had been working together, he had seemed like a kind gentle person whose main priority was to keep everyone safe, happy, and comfortable. Oh what a facade that was. "Well sorry if my problems aren't serious enough for you!" Alice screamed at him. "It's not like I-" "Both of you need to stop shouting!" Rose interjected loudly. She paused for a moment to allow them both to calm down, before telling them to sit on the chairs. "Don't tell be what to do in my own-" "Just sit down." At that moment, Aaron and Linda, the twenty four year old woman who had worked in Tom's store, rushed in to the room. "Is everything okay?" Linda panted, her blue hair still wet from the shower she had seemingly had earlier. "We heard shouting, and came to investigate." "Everything is fine," Tom said curtly. "If everything was fine, we wouldn't have heard shouting," Aaron pointed out. Rose sighed. "Okay, now that you two are here, maybe you can try knocking some sense into these two, who are acting really immature. I'm going to go check on my brother." She swept out of the room with one last glance at Alice and Tom. "Who would care to explain to me what you two were shouting about exactly?" Linda said sternly. "It's nothing," Tom insisted, and Alice was quick to agree with him. It was easier to not tell them about the argument, although she knew she would tell Aaron about it later anyway. Linda and Aaron shared a glance, before deciding that they didn't want to question them further. Linda and Alice started heading to the door, but Aaron had other ideas. "So Tom," Aaron began slyly. "Yes, Aaron?" Tom's voice was as stern as Alice had ever heard it. "Are you going to tell Alice what you said about her sister, or am I gonna have to?" "Aaron," Linda said quickly, before Tom could say anything. "That doesn't concern you and you know it doesn't." "It concerns me," Alice burst out, her blood boiling. "And I want it to concern him. What about my sister?" "Alice," Tom scolded. "Don't you think this is a conversation for another day?" "No. Tell me." "I really think we should wait for everyone to calm down before speaking about thi-" "He isn't going to help you find Lena," Aaron burst out. "He was never planning on helping." Tom stared at Aaron, anger almost radiating from him. He raised his hand, and only because of years of experiencing the same thing did Alice know what was coming. Her instincts took over - she practically jumped across the room, aiming to grab Tom's arm before it reached Aaron - but it was too late. The slap echoed across the room, and Aaron winced in pain as his cheek immediately started turning red. Tom didn't hesitate as he shoved Aaron onto the floor and continued his attack. "Stop!" Alice shouted to no avail. Anger pulsed through her as she tried to shove Tom off of Aaron, but the moment she touched him, electricity passed through them, and he sprang back onto the floor, unconscious. Alice had never felt her power so strongly, and thought she never would once they discovered that the gods had faded. She felt the tingling in her fingers stop immediately, but still hesitated to help Aaron off the floor. "What happened? Was it your powers? Are you okay?" Aaron asked as he stood, and she almost laughed at his last question, considering he was the one attacked by the founder of their organization. "I'm fine; the question is, are you?" When he nodded, Alice glanced at Linda's stricken face, before saying, "Good. Because we're leaving." ---- WIP Category:Albus Chase